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Being around kids can be a lot fun! Between the things they say and watching them run and play, it’s often pretty entertaining.

But raising kids? Well that’s a different story. Raising good kids takes some serious effort. It always has, and it probably always will.

In today’s world, though, it’s common for people to say that raising good kids also takes some serious money. But is that really the truth?

Let’s find out together!

Is Raising a Child Difficult?

When we welcomed our first daughter, Amelia, into the world a few years ago, it was—without a doubt—magical. All the clichés are true, especially the one about love at first sight. Those early moments with her felt like utter perfection.

And I wouldn’t change a thing. Okay, well maybe one thing.

What if, as they placed her in my arms and we locked eyes, things got a bit more magical and she transferred all kinds of information to me? Details like who she was and what she needed—and who she would become and what she would need in all our days ahead together?

I mean, wouldn’t that be awesome?

But babies don’t come with instruction manuals. All of those details are things you find out and figure out along the way—which can be both extremely rewarding and extremely difficult. If I’ve learned anything about raising kids so far, it’s that each stage comes with its own share of joys and challenges!

My Dad, Dave Ramsey, on Raising Good Kids in Every Season

With Father’s Day just around the corner, I jumped at the chance to invite my dad on the show. I wanted to pick his brain to understand what it was like to raise me, my sister, and my brother in times of both financial struggle and success.

And in today’s episode, Dad does what dads do best—he gives great advice. Here are just a few of the nuggets of wisdom he shares:

Use your money mistakes as teachable moments for your kids.

If you want to reach some sense of life-balance, work to develop a rhythm in every season.

When it comes to raising good kids, focus your efforts on principles and consistency, not perfection.

We also talk about some of our favorite memories and share a few (okay, maybe more than a few) laughs along the way.

Real Life With Rachel

Want to know a secret to helping your kids choose joy in any situation?

Dad adventures.

Maybe this was just a thing for us Ramsey kids growing up, but it seems like any time we were freaking out or bummed about something, Dad would say, “It’s okay! This is a dad adventure!”

We’re talking four flat tires on the interstate or being stranded on a boat in the middle of a lake during a thunderstorm. And just that simple phrase—dad adventure—worked every time.

Check out today’s show to see which dad adventures my dad says he “doesn’t remember.”

Bringing Home Baby Shouldn’t Break the Bank

Depending on your personality, registering for a baby shower can be one of the most fun or one of the most anxiety-producing scenarios. That’s because, these days, you’re not just dealing with one physical store. You have the whole of Amazon, Target and Buy Buy Baby combined.

Plus you’ve got the advice and opinion of every friend (and stranger) on both Facebook and Instagram to guide you on what to register for. Just register for it all!

I’m kidding, of course.

Raising good kids starts with giving them the care they need as infants. And the truth is, you just don’t need much to do that. So, in today’s episode, I share my four absolute must-buy infant items and four things I personally think are a waste of money.

Here are four must-buy infant items:

And here are four infant items you can go without:

Wipe warmer

Expensive baby clothes

Baby shoes

Diaper genie

Do you agree with these lists? Let me know in my Facebook community! I’d love to know what you think!

And yes, you guys, I’m still singing the praises of term life insurance. That’s because there’s just no better way to show love for your new baby than to make sure they’re taken care of—no matter what.

Make sure your Kids are taken care of and

Dr. Meg Meeker on Raising Good Kids at Every Age

If you’re like me, you’ve probably had a moment or two as a parent when you’ve asked yourself: How do you raise an emotionally healthy child?How should children be brought up?Am I even doing this right?

Well, good news! On today’s episode, I’m joined by my good friend Dr. Meg Meeker, who is a pediatrician, parenting expert, and best-selling author!

In preparation for this episode, I reached out to my Facebook community for questions about parenting and raising good kids—and you guys delivered! Meg offers practical tips that I, no joke, couldn’t wait to get home and implement.

And, of course, Meg and I discuss the ever-elusive chore completion challenge. I mean, has any parent ever, in the history of parents, raised a kid who didn’t require a little prodding—pleading, even—to help around the house?

We have an awesome tool designed to help parents teach their kids how to win with money in a fun and easy way. It’s called Financial Peace Junior.

It comes with a parent guide, an activity book, a sticker chart, a chore chart, money envelopes, and an e-book of Smart Money Smart Kids—the national best seller I wrote with my dad. This kit has everything you need to raise good, money-smart kids with strong work ethics!

She Works Hard Saving Money

One of my favorite raising kids quotes from Meg is: “More important than succeeding at work is succeeding with your family.” So in today’s episode, we incorporate that idea into the best part of our show—sharing #sheworkshardsavingmoney stories! But instead of asking for your saving stories, we did a little twist and asked for stories about what yourkids have saved for or are saving up for.

There were seriously so many awesome responses that it was hard to narrow them down! But here are some of my favorites:

“Big LEGO kits and a Barbie dream house.” — Christian

“A slushy at Target.” — Simone

“A waterpark hotel weekend. She’s about halfway there!” — Michelle

“My 16-year-old bought his first car and just bought a new iPhone.” — Jennifer

So fun. I just love those. Keep sending us your stories of saving success! Thanks again for watching and remember: Take control of your money and create a life you love!

Zander Insurance pays the producer of this show, The Lampo Group, LLC, advertising fees for mentioning their services in our programing. Advertising fees are not based upon particular insurance products sales or business transacted between any consumer and Zander Insurance.